The Delta independent., 1887-04-12

Territorial courts affirmed its validity.
and then the hundreds of property own
ers who had acquired surface rights
adverse to the ownership claimed by
Burroughs had gone to Virginia City
and employed the best lawyers to be
had and carried the case to the Supreme
court of the United States. Naturally
the crowd in camp was interested that
night
So Walton waited. although he owned
no Meat Ak property and watched as
he had not often watched before, Bur-
roughs' mottled gray eye and coal
black beard and natty French heels as
he tripped from bar TO bank and from
bank back to bottle. But he always
seemed the same even to SO suspicious
an eye as Valton's.
There was no way to get hold of him.
It is true Walton knew, as did all the
old-timers in the camp. how Burroughs
had Jumped" a Widows claim and
worked it by main force, arming his
miners with pistols and shot guns, un-
til the widow had drowned herself in a
deserted shaft, and there being nobody
left of the earlier, sparse inhabitants
to succeeds to her rights, and fight her
battles. And Walton knew, as did
many others. how Burrough had al
ready taken good many thousands
out OF that same mine and had so laid
the foundation of his marvellous for
tunes. But no hand had ever been
raised against him on that account.
Bygones were easily bygones in those
flush times. with new faces and new in
terests coming into camp every day.
People had said it was strange that
Burroughs had never seemed to grow
older. and kept his beard and his thick
head of hair SO jetty black. and his
teeth so white and even and his boots
SO finely polished. But Walton. who
had marked all that long ago, thought
there must come break some day in
king" Burroughs unexceptionable ap-
pointments.
Already, it was nearly 8, the street in
front of the sidewalk was choked by a
mass OF men waiting for the mail and
the news. Hoarse shouts and the per-
petual shuffling of great crowd made
constant noise that filled all the sa.
looms and drew scores of other men
away from the games and the bars to
the crowds outside. Burroughs had be-
come nervously active, had scarcely
stood in one spot longer than time
enough to pour down glass of whisky.
Presently the stage coach drove slow
ly up the street and finally penetrated
through the crowd to the postoffice
door.
The mail bag was thrown off and
the little tin box in which the driver
carried kilograms and money was hand
ed down to the postmaster. The crowd
bade him climb to the top of the stage
and read out the news. A succession
of yells tore the air everybody in the
camp, it seems, had crowded to hear
the great Meat Ak decision. Bur-
roughs. feverish with anticipated tri-
umph, climbed up and stood on top of
q wheel. Walton had crawled through
In time to get place not six feet
away. The postmaster opened the dis
patch box, tore the envelope from the
telegram and read:
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec 5, lsS-.
Tho Supreme Court has decided the Mea,
AZ claim in Jim Burroughs favor
A great uproar followed, interrupt
ing even the farther reading of the dis
patch.
The crowd roared and surged in its
frenzy. Jim Burroughs. who had
nearer and nearer the top of
the coach, jumped to the postmaster's
side and jerking the dispatch waved it
wildly over his head with one hand,
while with the other he gesticulated fu-
riously. All at once in the frantic fer
vor of his rejoicing he snatched his
coal black wig from his head-his hat
had fallen off-and waved that about
him.
In an instant shrek, woman's
cry. as sharp and piercing as the wind
itself, rang out high and shril over the
hub-hub. 1t was old Valiton's form
that swayed and no other than his lips
sent out that terrible appeal. Two
brawny miners caught him up and held
him shoulder high SO all could see HIM.
His features twitched and worked con-
vulsively.
THAT man," he cried, murdered
Pete Walton in California ten years
ago. l can prove it. have the de-
scription of Valiton's murderer pub
lished at the time at Sacramento.
have tracked him-I have run him
down. know him by his red hair that
no one in this camp ever saw before to-
night"
All this painfully between gasps.
And the crowd murmered hoarsely.
chiefly for wonder that the old mans
lips should send out woman's plead
ing voice. Then she went on
''Men. help me avenge my husbands
murderer. l am an old woman, but
have been strong enough to 60 about
in the mines rs man and hunt this
wretch down. Look at him! Examine
him! If he is not the man this paper
calls for, the Vigilants may hang me